1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera having means to effect a reduction in camera size from an operative condition to an inoperative condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention relates to a folding camera and, more particularly, to a camera erecting assembly for guiding housings of the camera between erected and folded conditions.
Generally, cameras of the type described have a collapsible bellows which is connected between housings of the camera to thereby provide a lighttight chamber within which image-bearing light is transmitted from a lens in one housing to a film unit located in position for exposure in another housing. Also, some type of erecting assembly is provided for guiding the housings between folded and erected positions and for releasably maintaining the housings in the latter position. An example of this type of arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,907 wherein a collapsible erecting assembly comprised of a plurality of planar members is entirely enclosed within the camera's bellows. While this arrangement performs its intended function, it does so at the expense of adding to the overall volume of the camera. This is so because of the necessity to locate the erecting assembly outside of the bundle of image-bearing light rays traveling between the objective lens and the film unit. Thus, the volume enclosed by the bellows is larger than it would have been if the erecting assembly were located exteriorly of the bellows.
As is well known, one of the desired objects in designing a folding camera is to maximize its compactness when the camera is in a folded condition. To achieve this object one must carefully interrelate the positions of various elements of the camera such that they occupy a minimum of space in the folded configuration. One way in which space may be conserved is to fold one or more walls of the bellows inwardly, such as is taught by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,906,521 and 3,683,770. A possible drawback to this type of arrangement is that when the bellows is so folded, a portion thereof may hang downwardly into the film chamber where it is susceptible to being damaged during the loading of a film cassette into the film chamber.